Dr.-Ing.

Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Circuit theory
MTE 111
1- Fundamental of Electric Circuits
Third Edition
C. K. Alexander & M. N. O. Sadiku

2-

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Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Decimal multiples and
submultiples of SI units

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.2 Electric Charges

• Charge is an electrical property of the atomic particles
of which matter consists, measured in coulombs (C).

• The charge e on one electron is negative and equal in

magnitude to 1.6  10-19 C which is called as electronic
charge. The charges that occur in nature are integral
multiples of the electronic charge.
t
q (t )   i (t )dt  q (0)
3
0
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.3 Current
• Electric current i = dq/dt. The unit of ampere
can be derived as 1 A = 1C/s.

• A direct current (dc) is a current that remains

constant with time.

• An alternating current (ac) is a current that

varies sinusoidally with time.

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Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Direct current (dc) Alternating current (ac)

 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 1

Ex. 2
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 3
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 4: A conductor has a constant current of 5 A.

How many electrons pass a fixed point on the

conductor in one minute?
Solution

Total no. of charges pass in 1 min

= (5)(60) = 300 C

Total no. of electronics pass in 1 min is given

q 300
  19
 1.87 x10 electrons8
21

e 1.602 x10
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 5: Find the current in an element if the charge

flowing through the element is q(t) = 3t3 + 6t2 +8t –4.

Solution

dq d (3t  6t  8t  4)
3 2
i (t )  
dt dt

It follows that,

i (t )  9t  12t  8
2

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 6: If the current in an electrical device is given by,

i(t) = 2t + 4 , With q(0) = 1.5 C
Find the charge flowing through the device.

Solution

t t
q(t )   i (t )dt  q(0)   (2t  4)dt 1.5
0 0

q (t )  t 2  4t  1.5

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.4 Voltage
• Voltage (or potential difference) is the energy required
to move a unit charge through an element, measured
in volts (V).

• Mathematically, Vab  dw / dq (V)

– w is energy in joules (J) and q is charge in coulomb (C).

• Electric voltage, vab, is always across the circuit element

or between two points in a circuit.

– vab > 0 means the potential of a is higher than potential of b.

– vab < 0 means the potential of a is lower than potential of b.

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.5 Power and Energy

• Power is the time rate of supplying or absorbing
energy, measured in watts (W).
dw dw dq
p    vi
• Mathematical expression: dt dq dt

i i

+ +

v v

– –

P = +vi p = –vi
absorbing power supplying power
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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Power supplied: If the I

assumed direction of the

+ +
current leaves the
source vs load
vL
assumed positive polarity of
_ _
the voltage, power is
supplied.

Power absorbed: If the assumed direction of the current

enters the assumed positive polarity of the voltage,
power is absorbed.
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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

We consider the following examples:

I=4A I=4A I=4A I=4A

_ _
+ +

v=5v v=5v v=5v v=5v

_ _
+ +

(a) P = 20W (b) P = 20W (c) P = -20W (d) P = -20W

absorbed absorbed supplied supplied

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

In any closed electric circuit, power is both supplied and

absorbed.
The amount that is supplied must be equal to the amount
that is absorbed.
Stated another way, we can say that the law of
conversation of energy must hold.

Therefore, in any electric circuit the algebraic sum of the

power must be zero.

 p0
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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 7: Calculate the power supplied or absorbed by each

element in figure.

Solution

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 8: Calculate the power supplied or absorbed by each

element in figure.

Solution

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

• Energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules

(J).

• Mathematical expression

t t
w t0
pdt   vidt
t0

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 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn
Ex. 9 University, Germany
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex. 10
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.6 Circuit Elements

We classify circuit elements as passive and active.
Passive elements cannot generate energy. Common
examples of passive elements are resistors, capacitors
and inductors.

Active elements can generate energy. Common

examples of active elements are power supplies (sources)
and batteries.
The types of sources are independent and dependent.
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

1.6 Circuit Elements

An ideal independent source is an active element that
provides a specified voltage or current that is completely
independent of other circuit variables.

Both symbols in the Figure (a)

and (b) can be used to
represent a dc voltage source,
but only the symbol in Figure
(a) can be used for a time-
varying voltage source.
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

An ideal independent current source is an

active element that provides a specified
current (the arrow indicates the direction of
current i) completely independent of the
voltage across the source.

An ideal dependent source

is an active element in which
the source quantity is controlled
by another voltage or current
 Dr.-Ing. Ahmed Said, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Paderborn University, Germany

Ex.11
Obtain the voltage v in the branch shown in the figure for i2 = 1A.

Solution

Voltage v is the sum 10 V source and

the vx source

Therefore, v = 10 + vx = 10 + 15(1)
= 25 V

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